Pa. trooper's pregnant wife dies in accidental shooting

Pregnant woman was accidentally shot to death Friday afternoon by her husband, a state trooper

By Michaelle Bond
The Philadelphia Inquirer

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Pa. — Police released the identity of a pregnant woman accidentally shot to death Friday afternoon in Montgomery County by her husband, a state trooper.

JoAnne Miller, who was 22 weeks pregnant, was taken to Mercy Suburban Hospital with a gunshot wound to the upper body.

She died soon after she was admitted. Doctors performed an unsuccessful emergency cesarean. "The baby never had its own breathing or heartbeat," said the Montgomery County coroner, Walter Hofman.

The shooting in the home on the 3000 block of Stony Creek Road in East Norriton occurred around 2:30 p.m. Friday, police said. The officer pulled the trigger while taking apart his .45-caliber handgun for cleaning but did not realize the gun was loaded, police said.

"He's been distraught, cooperative," said Kevin Steele, Montgomery County first assistant district attorney.

An autopsy was performed on the woman and fetus Saturday morning.

The couple's two young children were in the home at the time and were unharmed.

County detectives are working with East Norriton police on the investigation.